Building siding systems and methods

ABSTRACT

Exterior building siding for aesthetic and protection of the building against wind, rain and solar energy by attaching each horizontal plank from the top of the wall downwardly that includes a starting strip where each plank is interlocked to the plank above it. Each of the horizontal planks includes a top wall portion that fits snuggly into an “L-shaped” groove above it so that the panels can be firmly locked together vertically in a downwardly fashion to prevent any wind uplift against the siding or moisture intrusion. In the preferred embodiment, an adaptor strip is bonded to a conventional siding plank for trap lock engagement. Each adaptor strip has a longitudinal recess to reduce mass and volume and a mid panel support for strength.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/194,979, filed on Aug. 20, 2008, which is a continuation-in-part ofU.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/018,416, filed Jan. 23, 2008 and nowabandoned, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 11/774,247, filed on Jul. 6, 2007 and now U.S. Pat. No.7,712,277, which claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S.Provisional Application No. 60/828,674, filed on Oct. 9, 2006.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to a building protective and aestheticsiding that is used to cover the exterior of a building and,specifically, to a building siding that includes horizontal planks thatare interlocked together on top and bottom and that are installed fromthe top of a building wall in a downward direction. The inventionincludes the use of an adaptor strip that can be adhesively affixed toexisting fiber cement siding planks or comparable material whileproviding for top down interlocking of the planks for durability andprotection from wind and rain.

2. Description of Related Art

Many buildings, residential dwellings and office buildings, use buildingsiding on the exterior of the building for protecting the building fromthe elements and for aesthetic purposes. Typical building siding isconstructed of a plurality of elongated, horizontal panels, planks, orstrips that are typically overlapped from the wall bottom upwardly, witheach next piece added that overlaps the piece below it. Such overlappingpanels are used to protect the building from rain, solar and winddamage. The siding used on many residential and commercial buildings forthe exterior is typically made of wooden planks that are overlapped,typically from the wall bottom upwardly. Plastic, polyvinyl chloride(PVC), and aluminum sheets have also been used. Many of these materialsare also sloped to aesthetically look like wood planks that areoverlapped, one on top of the other giving each plank a slight inclineinstead of a substantially flat surface.

One of the problems with conventional siding that is constructed withpanels or planks from the wall bottom up, i.e. each horizontal plankbeing covered by one on top of it, is that high winds can lift a plankreducing the siding durability.

The siding described herein adds durability and protection from wind andrain because the siding planks are placed on the building from the topdown. Each of the individual horizontal planks are more securely held inplace because of the top and bottom interlock connections.

The present invention can be used with existing planks such as fibercement siding by utilization of an adaptor strip that is adhesivelyaffixed to each existing fiber cement siding plank that allows the fibercement siding plank to be interlocked from the top down for greatlyimproving durability and protection from wind and rain. Each plank andadaptor strip is fastened to the building exterior wall along the basearea of the adaptor strip.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Exterior building siding which may be constructed of several types ofmaterials including aluminum, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), wood, steel,concrete, hard foam or other synthetic materials having essentially twocomponents which include: (1) a top starting strip that is affixed tothe building at a selected upper beginning point of a building wall orstructure and (2) a plurality of planks of the same or variable lengthsthat are affixed to the starting strip and to the building itself,usually to vertical studs forming the building exterior wall.

The starting strip is the uppermost horizontal strip and has an inverted“J-shaped” cross section. The strip body inverted “J-shaped” crosssectional configuration provides for a substantially upside down deeprecess or groove that is disposed vertically and is tapered to receivethe upper “L-shaped” lip portion of the first horizontal mounting plank.The starting strip may have a plurality of small circular recesseddimples that provide visual alignment for fasteners such as screws,nails or staples to be driven through the strip in such a manner thatthe head of the screw or nail is flush or countersunk below the level ofthe exterior surface. The strip can also be attached by glue. After thetop starting strip has been fastened to the selected upper position onthe building exterior wall, the horizontal siding planks are attachedsequentially downwardly from the starting strip. The planks may berectangular in shape of the same or different lengths that can be cut tomake each horizontal row equal to the building wall width. Each plankhas a cross section that includes a top tapered “L-shaped” area that isupright and a bottom “J-shaped” area that is inverted forming a groove.In one embodiment, the upper length of the “L-shaped” area leg of eachplank is longer that the bottom portion of the “J-shaped” leg asdescribed below.

The planks used in the siding are joined and interlocked vertically ontop and bottom in horizontal rows, and are arranged in end to endabutments. The planks can be manufactured in various dimensions in termsof width or height and thickness and can be of different lengthsdepending on the nature of the building to be covered with siding. Eachplank can be cut in length and width to fit any wall size.

The starting strip inverted “J-shaped” cross section area has acontinuous groove from end to end that may be tapered and is sized tosnuggly fit with the upper “L-shaped” projection of the top edge of thesiding plank. Thus, when the first plank is inserted snuggly into thestarting strip, there is a tight fit between both the starting stripgroove and the first plank projection.

At the bottom of the every plank, there is an inverted “J-shaped” areawith a groove similar to the groove inverted “J-shaped” groove in thestarting strip. This plank lower groove is interlocked with the top edgeof the next horizontal plank added downwardly.

The starting strip and each plank are attached to the building exteriorwall surface or studs by nails, screws, staples or glue. The heads ofthe nail and screw fasteners may be countersunk in pre-formed recessedareas. Assembly of an exterior wall of siding begins with the attachmentof the starting strip at a location that denotes the horizontal upperstarting line of the siding. The starting strip is nailed, screwed,stapled or glued to the building horizontally.

A first series of planks are horizontally pushed into firm engagement inthe starting strip groove and each plank is nailed, screwed, stapled orglued into place along the bottom area of each plank forming the firstrow of planks.

Each additional row of planks is engaged to the fastened planksdownwardly, one row at a time. The fasteners securing the previousplanks are covered by the next row of planks.

The planks forming the very bottom row may have to be cut longitudinallyfor a perfect fit to reduce their height to conform to the remainingspace to be covered. These planks may be glued to the building exteriorwall or studs.

In one embodiment, the inside (back) surfaces of the starting strip andall planks are flat and form a flat plane flush with the building wallor studs.

In an alternate embodiment, the back wall surface of each plank and thestarting strip can include one or more vertical recessed channels(curved or rectangular in shape) that form vertical moisture or fluidconduits that allow drainage of moisture that accumulates on the outsideexterior surface of the building but on the inside of the planks todissipate moisture in the vertical channels by gravity.

Also in an alternate embodiment, the plank end faces that are placedside by side for each plank, instead of being flush, could include agroove flange overlap such that the outer surface edge of one plankoverlaps the inner side edge of the adjacent planks. Between eachoverlap structure a small vertical space can be made as a moisturechannel.

In a further alternate embodiment, the starting strip and planks can beinstalled onto the roof of a building as well as the soffits of abuilding. In this alternate embodiment, the starting strip and planksare installed in the same top-down manner as described when used forsiding.

Using the present invention as described, it is noted how secure each ofthe individual planks are, both at the top and at the bottom, whichgreatly increases its durability against harsh weather elements such aswind and rain for greater strength and longer preservation.

In the preferred embodiment, the siding is comprised of a conventionalelongated plank made of fiber cement or other material, that isadhesively attached or bonded to an elongated adaptor strip which allowsfiber cement conventional planks of siding to be securely trap lockedabove and below against a building horizontally from the top of thebuilding wall downwardly.

The adaptor strip is an elongated strip, which may be extruded, milledor molded from various materials, that includes a front flat face in itsupper portion, a mid panel support on its rear face to prevent or reducethe cement board damage due to flying debris, extra material forincrease strength near a recessed area that runs the entire length ofthe adaptor strip to reduce the volume of material used and a lowerextended nailing or fastener flange.

The adaptor strip can be affixed with adhesive to the fiber cement boardat the factory. The siding unit is comprised of the conventional fibercement board or other material and is bonded to the adaptor strip thatprovides horizontal planks attached vertically for interlocking at topand bottom of each fiber cement panel or plank. The siding unit has abottom or base groove that is large enough to receive the top flat edgeof a fiber cement board that is trap locked between the adaptor stripand the base of an above fiber cement board that is already attached toa building exterior along its base area.

Optionally, within the base groove, a resilient elongated moisturebarrier member is placed at the top surface of the inverted groove. Themoisture stop could be longitudinally disposed throughout the basegroove of the entire plank and adaptor strip. As each cement fiber boardis interlocked below to the previously attached groove plank, the topedge engages and self-aligns at the stopping point in the invertedgroove with or without the moisture stop. The moisture stop reducesmoisture from reaching the exterior building wall being covered or thesiding fasteners from the front surface.

Also in the preferred embodiment with the adaptor strip, the back facesurfaces of the adaptor strip include narrow moisture transmissiongrooves that are substantially diagonally and vertically positioned butcan be angled. The adaptor strip back surface moisture grooves are usedin conjunction with an adaptor strip horizontal recess in the adaptorstrip that reduces the volume of material used in the device. Theadaptor strip mid panel support back face also includes a series ofmoisture transmission grooves substantially positioned diagonally andvertically.

The longitudinal recess in the adaptor strip may be trapezoidally shapedin cross section (as opposed to rectangular) so that moisture will notaccumulate due to gravity allowing moisture to run down the recess wallsurface between moisture transmission grooves.

Thus, each siding panel horizontally attached to an exterior buildingwall is mounted from the top down, interlocking each lower panel iscomprised of a fiber cement board or other material that can be made ina conventional rectangular shape with an adaptor strip adhesively bondedto the back side of the fiber board. The siding unit can be interlockedand fastened along its extended base area with the adaptor back wallface extending below the front of the fiber board to allow for fastenerssuch as nails, screws or staples to be fastened along the base to abuilding wall. The adaptor strip can have a large longitudinal recessspecifically to reduce the volume of material used in the entire sidingunit while, at the same time, not sacrificing strength.

It is an object of this invention to provide a building exterior sidingthat is affixed from the top down with an interlock cross sectionalpattern between adjacent horizontal panels to give the siding morestrength and durability in use.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved exteriorpanel that can be easily assembled and mounted on the exterior of abuilding in a top down progression for increased strength and durabilityof the siding.

It is a primary objective of this invention to provide siding that canbe made from fiber cement or other conventional material and bonded toan adaptor strip that allows for rigid interlock from a top downconstruction of the siding for fastening along the base of each sidingunit and may provide for moisture transmission grooves along theinterface between the adaptor strip and the building exterior wall towhich it is attached.

In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparenthereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with particularreference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a side elevational view of the top starter strip.

FIG. 2 shows a side elevational view of a typical horizontal plank.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view partially cut away of the exteriorsiding including the starting strip and two planks installed on theexterior of a building.

FIG. 4 shows a side elevational view partially in cross section of thebuilding siding attached to a portion of a building wall.

FIG. 5 shows an alternate embodiment of the invention in a perspectiveview with two planks joined side by side.

FIG. 6 shows the alternate embodiment of FIG. 5 from a top plan view.

FIG. 7A shows a side elevational view of an alternate embodiment of thebottom starter strip.

FIG. 7B shows a side elevational view of the alternate embodiment of thehorizontal plank.

FIG. 8 shows a cross sectional view wherein the invention is used on aroof and as a soffit as well as a vertical exterior wall covering.

FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of a siding unit that includes a fibercement board bonded to an adaptor strip.

FIG. 10 shows a starting strip and a pair of siding units interlocked ina cross sectional view in elevation displaying the interlocking of thesiding unit shown in FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 shows a side elevational view in cross section of the sidingunit shown in FIG. 9.

FIG. 12 is a side cross sectional view of the alternate embodiment shownin FIG. 13 attached to a conventional plank such as a fiber cementboard.

FIG. 13 shows a side elevational view of a cross section of anotheralternate embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a side elevational in cross section similar to FIG. 8 showingother figure enlargements.

FIG. 15 shows an enlarged view of the soffit “Z” finishing strip usedwith the present invention for a soffit.

FIG. 16 shows an enlarged cross section view partially cut away of thesoffit structure as it is attached to rafter tails.

FIG. 17 shows a side elevational view in cross section of the starterstrip used for siding where it joins the soffit.

FIG. 18 shows a cross sectional view of two overlapping planks prior tobeing interlocked in a side elevational cross sectional view of anotheralternate embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 19 shows the cross sectional side elevational view of FIG. 18wherein the panels are in an interlocked position that includes themoisture stop in the alternate embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 20 is an enlarged cutaway in cross section of the moisture stoplocked in place.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the drawings and, particularly, FIG. 1, the startingstrip 12 is shown in a side elevational view to illustrate the“J-shaped” groove that is inverted 12 b formed between the back wall ofthe starting strip 12 a and the front wall 12 c. The starting strip 12also includes a plurality of dimples 12 d that are circular recessedportions sized approximately in diameter to equal to the head of a nailor a screw. However, the dimples are not required. This provides avisual indication to a construction worker as to where to insertfasteners such as nails or screws that will be countersunk when thestarter strip is mounted to a vertical wall surface or stud 18 as shownin FIG. 3.

It is further contemplated that each starting strip 12 may additionallyhave a plurality of shallow vertical grooves located on the flat backwall. These grooves will extend from the top of the flat back wall tothe bottom of the flat back wall.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the basic siding plank 14 is shown that is usedto complete the building siding. Each plank 14 is mounted horizontallystarting from the starting strip 12 as shown in FIG. 3 downwardly inhorizontal rows. The plank 14 has a flat back wall 14 d and an upper“L-shaped” wall 14 a which is slightly tapered and fits snuggly withinthe inverted “J-shaped” groove 12 b of the starting strip shown inFIG. 1. It is contemplated that the structure 12 may have a “J-shape”with an interior non-parallel, tapered “V-shaped” groove 12 b to providea tapered exterior surface. The top “L-shaped” portion 14 a also issized to fit snuggly in an adjacent horizontal plank into the inverted“J-shaped” groove 14 b as each horizontal plank is attached to the plankabove it in a downward pattern. The front surface of each plank is flatbut tapered to give the effect of overlapping boards and to allow waterrun off.

It is further contemplated that each siding plank 14 may additionallyhave a plurality of shallow vertical grooves located on the side of theplank 14 which will share a planar relationship with the flat back wallof the starting strip 12. These grooves will extend from the top edge tothe bottom edge of the plank 14.

Looking at FIG. 3, the starting strip is shown attached to a verticalstud 18 which is the exterior wall stud for the building. Also shown inFIG. 3 are two planks 14 connected to each other vertically. The planksmay have dimples 20 and 22 that are also visual representations of whereto place the appropriate fasteners such as nails, screws, staples orglue when attaching each plank 14 to a vertical wall surface or stud 18.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the siding is shown with the starting strip 12mounted at the top of a representative wall surface or stud 18 and isinterlocked with the first horizontal row 14 plank with a fastener 16that has been attached to the starting strip 12 at the top.Subsequently, the first horizontal plank 14 is fastened into theinverted groove in starting strip 12 at the top and with a fastener 16at its bottom securely fastening the horizontal plank to the startingstrip and to the wall surface or stud at its base. Thus, the sequencerepeats from the top down of inserting the next row of horizontal planksand attaching them to the wall surface or stud with fasteners such asnails, screws, staples or glue. The fasteners at the base of each plankare covered by the next plank inserted from below by wall 14 a FIG. 2.

Looking at FIGS. 3 and 4, one can easily see how strong and tight thesiding is mounted on the building exterior wall. It would be difficultfor the wind or rain to penetrate the siding in the interlockingconfiguration as shown.

Looking at FIG. 4, the top starting strip 12 can also include adecorative edge chime 12 e if desired. Also, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4,the horizontal planks 14 have a front façade that is visible afterinstallation that includes a beveled or inclined shape to achieve thelap style look. However, any other façade can be utilized on the frontexterior surface.

The back surfaces 12 a and 14 d are flat. The siding planks 14 andstarting strip 12 can be made in various widths and thicknesses andlengths and from many different materials including mixed fibers, wood,concrete, steel, aluminum, plastics, polymers, foam or other blended ornatural or man-made composite materials. The siding can function notonly as a protective outer layer on a building protecting the buildingagainst wind, moisture, rain and solar energy, but also acts as aninsulation for heat or cold. Overall, the siding provides greater upliftprotection from stronger than average wind and moisture intrusion thatresults in a reduction of costly repairs and replacements to thebuilding.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 6, in an alternate embodiment 100, twohorizontal planks 140 are shown joined together along one edge, side byside. Each plank 140 has one or more vertical shallow channels formed inits back surface. The back surface channels can be of any crosssectional shape and are shown as rectangular. The channels are used tocollect moisture that may accumulate on the exterior surface of the wallof the building being covered by the siding. As each horizontal plankrow is attached to a vertical plank row above, the vertical channels 140a can be aligned vertically so that the plank moisture channels from thetop of the wall to the bottom of the wall are aligned. The startingstrip channels can also be vertically aligned. Condensate and moisturewill be drained downwardly by gravity.

As shown in FIG. 6, the plank back surface channels 140 a are shallowand rectangular grooves but could be any design or shape. Also note thatin an alternate embodiment, the planks 140 can be overlapped from sideto side such that one plank has an extended lip 140 c along one edgewhich is sized to engage a comparable recess 140 b in the adjacent panelalong each side. Thus, the panels can be overlapped laterally formoisture prevention. Note that a small channel can be disposed along theedge that shows the overlap 140 c and 140 b that itself could be amoisture barrier along the inside back surface between the planks 140.

Alternate Embodiment

As an alternative embodiment, referring now to FIG. 7A, the startingstrip 200 is shown in a side elevational view to illustrate the“J-shaped” groove 200 b formed between the back wall of the startingstrip 200 a and the front wall 200 c. In this embodiment the startingstrip 200 is installed at the bottom area of the wall to be covered.Subsequent panels 210 are then attached in an upward direction. The topplank can be attached and cut longitudinally to fit the top most row.Flashing or a sealant may be used to seal the top plank. The startingstrip 200 also includes a plurality of dimples 200 d that are circularrecessed portions sized approximately in diameter to equal to the headof a nail or a screw. However, the dimples are not required. Thisprovides a visual indication to a construction worker as to where toinsert fasteners such as nails or screws that will be countersunk whenthe starter strip 200 is mounted to a vertical surface or wall stud.

Each starting strip 200 may additionally have a plurality of shallowvertical grooves located on the flat back wall. These grooves willextend from the bottom of the flat back wall to the top of the flat backwall.

Referring now to FIG. 7B, the basic siding plank 210 is shown that isused to complete the building siding from the bottom of the wallupwardly. Each plank 210 is mounted horizontally starting from thestarting strip 200 as shown in FIG. 7A upwardly in horizontal rows. Theplank 210 has a flat back wall 210 d and an lower inverted “J-shaped”wall 210 a and groove 210 e which fit snuggly within the “J-shaped”groove 200 b of the starting strip shown in FIG. 7A. The back wall 200 aof the starter strip 200 fits into the inverted “J-shaped” groove 210 aof the plank 210. The front wall 200 c of the starter strip 200 fitsinto the second groove 210 e of the plank 210. The top “L-shaped”portion 210 b of the plank 210 is sized to fit snuggly in an adjacenthorizontal plank into the inverted “J-shaped” groove 210 a, and secondgroove 210 e as each horizontal plank is attached to the plank above itin an upwardly pattern. The front surface 210 c of each plank is flatbut tapered to give the effect of overlapping boards and to allow waterrun off.

Each siding plank 210 may additionally have a plurality of shallowvertical grooves located on the back side of the plank 210 d which willshare a planar relationship with the flat back wall of the startingstrip 200. These grooves will extend from the top edge to the bottomedge of the plank 210.

Alternate Embodiment

As an alternative embodiment, referring now to FIG. 8, the startingstrip and horizontal planks 220 can also be used as soffits 230 or asroofing material 240. For the roofing material 240, the starting stripwill be mounted near the top of the roof and the horizontal planks willbe subsequently mounted below and downwardly. The soffits 230 aredescribed below.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 9, 10 and11. Referring now to FIGS. 9, 10 and 11, siding unit 300 includes afiber cement rectangular panel 302 which is conventional in shape,thickness and can be of indeterminate length or standard length from agenerally rectangular board shape or plank shape. On one side of thefiber cement board 302 is attached an adaptor strip 304. The adaptorstrip 304 is attached and bonded to one side of the fiber cement boardby adhesive 314 along the front face upper portion of said adaptor strip304. The fiber cement plank or board 302 can be bonded to the adaptorstrip 304 at the factory or in situ. The siding 300 includes a resilientwater proof strip 306 that is mounted in a groove along the base of thesiding unit between the front board 302 and the lower extended base ofthe adaptor strip 304. The purpose of the base groove is to receive thetop edge of board 302 in an interlocking trap lock arrangement for windand water protection of the exterior building and wall. The resilientwater resistant strip 306 engages the top edge of fiber cement board 302when the siding members are interlocked in a top down fashion.

FIG. 10 shows a pair of siding units inserted and engaged to a startingstrip 310.

The starter strip 310 includes a groove 310 a that receives a fibercement board 302 upper edge in an interlocking fashion. The startingstrip in FIG. 10 is shown screwed along its extended bottom surface witha fastener 312. The extended fastening area of the starter strip isshown as 310 b.

Engaged to the starting strip is a cement board 302 that has beenadhesively bonded to the adaptor strip 304. The adaptor strip 304 hasupper and lower flat back surfaces that engage the wall of the building316. The exterior wall of the building 316 could also be a stud or flatsurface material. Each of the adaptor strips is attached to the buildingwall 316 with fasteners such as screw, nail, adhesive or staples 312.Each siding unit made up of the fiber cement board 302 and the adaptorstrip 304 is interlocked from the top down in a trap lock fashion. Thebottom front surface area of each adaptor strip is long enough tooverlap beyond the bottom groove such that the fastener 312 can beattached. To further explain, the bottom front surface and wall of theadaptor strip extends beyond the very bottom edge of the fiber cementboard 302 which forms the interlocking groove along the base of theentire siding unit being attached. There is sufficient front surfacearea from the adaptor strip to allow fasteners 312 to be attached alongthe base of the siding unit. There is also area within the invertedgroove for the sealing member 306 which is resilient and water resistantsuch as an artificial or natural rubber strip or other material that canbe sufficiently resilient to allow the board 302 to be suitably engagedwith the above siding unit groove to prevent moisture and rain fromreaching the inside of the unit.

Referring now to FIG. 11, specific features of the adaptor strip and thefiber cement board are shown. Specifically, the adaptor strip 304includes an upper mid panel support 304 a having a flat back wallsurface. This mid panel support 304 a prevents or reduces lateral boarddamage to board 302 from flying debris by providing extra support alongthe mid panel. The adhesive bond with adhesive 314 covers the entirefront surface of the upper portion of adaptor strip 304 which issubstantially flat and engages a mid portion of the board 302 firmly andpermanently.

In addition, the adaptor strip 304 includes an extended lower base 304 bthat is a rectangular extension extending beyond the bottom surface 302c of the fiber cement board 302. There is sufficient front surface areaexposed of the adaptor strip 304 b to allow attachment of screws, nails,staples or adhesive 312 along the bottom area of the adaptor strip thusattaching the entire siding unit along the bottom edge horizontallyacross the exterior building wall being covered. There is also volume inthe groove formed between the adaptor strip 304 and the cement board 302to receive a sealing resilient moisture barrier 306 that engages thevery top surface 302 b of the fiber cement board 302 when interlocked.

A very important feature of the adaptor strip and siding unit is a largetrapezoidal longitudinal recess 304 c along the back wall that extendsthe entire length of adaptor strip 304. The purpose of the trapezoidalrecess 304 c is to reduce mass and volume. The adaptor strip can beextruded and by having a substantial recess that runs at least betweenfrom top to bottom a quarter and a half along the entire body length ofthe adaptor strip and half the thickness, a large amount of mass ofmaterial and volume is reduced in the extrusion process, reducingmaterial costs without sacrificing strength. Also having trapezoidalshaped surfaces allows for moisture to drop by gravity along the passagewalls 304 c between moisture transmission grooves 308 which are grooveson the mid panel support 304 a and on surface 304 b.

In FIG. 9, the moisture transmission grooves 308 disposed in the backwalls of the adaptor strip on the flat surfaces both in the mid panelsupport area and on the lower area may be small grooves that allow waterand moisture to proceed downwardly. The surface grooves may becrisscrossed diagonally as shown or a diamond-shaped pattern or V-shapedpattern or other angled or vertical shapes that allow transmissiondownwardly of moisture. Different patterns and different shapes of themoisture grooves can be used.

The relative lengths of the fiber cement board or any other conventionalboard, including wood or any other material 302, are essentially thesame lengths as the extruded adaptor strip when the two elements arejoined together. Once permanently joined, the siding unit 300 can be cutwith a saw just like any other type of board or plank. The height andrelative height between the front board 302, regardless of the material,and its thickness and the height of the adaptor strip are important tobe in the proper locations for achieving the interlocking and trap lockcharacteristics of the siding unit itself. As shown in FIG. 9, the topedge 304 d of the adaptor strip (which is angled for moisture to falldownward from gravity) is approximately mid range between the top andbottom of the board 302. The height of the adaptor strip 304 is suchthat the back lower wall 304 b extends sufficiently beyond the bottomsurface 302 c (see FIG. 11) to allow sufficient surface area at thebottom front for the use of fasteners 312 that are driven through thelower extended surface area of adaptor strip 304 b to secure the sidingunit to a building wall from the bottom with fasteners such as nails,staples, glue or screws 312. The height of the adaptor strip is alsosufficient to form a sufficient passageway or bottom groove along theentire length of the siding unit between board 302 and adaptor strip 304to allow the board thickness top 302 b of a lower siding unit to be traplocked into the bottom passageway of an upper siding unit. Thisrelationship is shown in FIG. 10 in the interlocked position. The sidingunits are mounted from the top down.

The adaptor strip can be used with standard planks constructed ofvarious materials using known manufacturing process such as extrusion,molding or milling without compromising the material or designintegrity. The adaptor strip mounts and bonds to existing materials bythe adhesive back which also provides a method of concealing thefasteners so that they are not exposed to the elements or visible. Usingthe adaptor strip in conjunction with a standard plank of material, thesiding planks can then be engaged continuously at their top and bottomedges beginning with a starting strip in a top down fashion. Thisprovides a self aligning installation. By using a foam or rubberizedweather strip bead, water intrusion is reduced or eliminated. Theadaptor strip can be made of any material but is preferably extrudedfrom a polymer type material.

Based on studies done, it is believed that the adaptor strip can providea design mode that is equal to two and a half times greater in strengththan that of a standard plank before the use of the adaptor strip.

The overall siding unit shown allows for much quicker installation whichalso may reduce construction costs.

Referring now to FIGS. 12 and 13, a modified adapter strip is shownwhich is adaptor strip 402 that includes an extended male protrusion 402e formed by a L-shaped recess along sides 402 d and 402 a. The top 402 cof adaptor 402 can be angled to allow moisture to drip downwardly.

The modified adaptor strip 402 is shown in its working position in FIG.12 where it has been adhesively attached to a standard plank or board404 by adhesive 406 and strategic position near the lower position ofone side of board 404 to provide the L-shaped recessed groove along thecombination of board 404 and adaptor strip 402 which is the same lengthas the board 404 all the way along. Note that the lower siding unit 400as shown in FIG. 12 fits snuggly into the lower recessed groove havingwall 402 d where it intersects with the top of the lower board 404 a.Thus, as shown in FIG. 12, the adaptor strip 402 extends the entirelength of board or plank 404 which could be fiber cement board or anyother conventional material, all of which is mounted on the building asshown in previous examples through the fastening area 402 a shown in thebottom siding unit 400 of FIG. 12.

The adaptor strip front flat upper wall surface attached to said cementfiber board is not parallel to said adaptor strip as shown in FIGS.10-13 such that when the cement fiber boards are interlocked and nailedin place, the cement fiber boards are angled relative to a buildingwall.

FIG. 8 and FIGS. 14-17 show the use of the invention to form a soffit230. FIG. 15 shows an enlarged view of the soffit finishing strip 230 aat the outside of the soffit on the outside edge of the building nearthe facia board 215. The purpose of the finishing strip 230 a is toprovide an ending strip for the outside of the soffit formed with theinterlocking strips 230 b shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 14. The Z-shapedfinishing strip 230 a has an angled wall 230 c as shown in cross sectionin FIG. 15 that allows the use of a screw or nail fastener for nailingthe finishing strip to a structure above the soffit. Note that thefinishing strip 230 a has an L-shaped portion that receives a flat endof the interlocking plank 230 b. Thus, the end surface of 230 b has beenmodified so that it is straight and rectangular so that it fits into thefinishing strip 230 a.

FIG. 16 shows an enlarged view of the soffit pieces that include aninterlocking plank 230 b with an adjacent interlocking plank 230 dforming the entire interlock soffit with the fastener screw or nailmounted in the area of the lower back edge as has been shown throughoutfor the invention.

FIG. 17 shows a top wall mounting soffit starter strip that can be usedfor the top down trap lock system for siding. At the intersection of themost inward soffit plank and the starting strip 220 a at the top of awall, as shown in FIG. 17, the soffit plank end face that intersectswith the siding soffit starting strip 220 a has been modified. The plank240 includes a flat end portion 240 a that fits into the L-portion 220 eformed on the upper surface by protrusion of the starter strip 220 athat includes a back flush side 220 c. The starter strip 220 a doesinclude the base interlock groove 220 f and an extended base 220 g thatextends beyond the front face of 220 a so that the fastener 250 stillcan be attached to the starting strip at the top of the exteriorbuilding wall where it meets the soffit. The fastener 250 extendsthrough fastening area of the extension 220 g of starting strip 220 ainto the building wall. Thus, in construction jobs where the siding notonly is put on the exterior walls of the building but the soffit alsoincludes the trap lock system of interlocking adjacent planks thestarting strip 220 a is used. The soffit has its own finishing strip 230a for the outside facia board intersection. Referring now to FIGS.18-20, yet another alternate embodiment of the invention is shown withan integrally formed plank system 500 that includes individual planks502.

With the planks 502, which could be extruded, milled or molded,additional recessed areas 502 a, 502 c and 502 e run parallellongitudinally along the back wall of each plank to reduce the mass orvolume of material used. In addition, the flat back surfaces provide forsupport platforms 502 b, 502 d and 502 aa. These flat support platformsare disposed on each side of the recesses to prevent damage to the plankfrom flying debris if the plank were not supported properly.

The optional alternate embodiment of the invention shows the use of aresilient, artificial or natural rubber moisture stop 504 which ismounted in the base groove of each plank and which, because of itsresilience, can be compressed when the lower plank is inserted into thebottom groove of the adjacent plank for interlocking. As shown in FIG.20, the moisture stop will be deformed and expand to provide a moisturebarrier 504 between each interlocked plank along its length. Thus, themoisture barrier or moisture stop 504 will run the entire length of thebase groove in each plank. Different types of materials could be usedand it does not have to be an O-ring in cross section as shown in FIG.17. It is important that the material be resilient, however, so that itcan conform when the above and below planks are interlocked together.The plank fasteners are not shown in FIGS. 17 and 18 but would bedisposed through the back wall portion 502 f which is the extended areafor fasteners in attaching the planks 502 to an exterior wall.

The instant invention has been shown and described herein in what isconsidered to be the most practical and preferred embodiment. It isrecognized, however, that departures may be made therefrom within thescope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to aperson skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:
 1. A siding system comprising: a plurality of sidingplanks, each siding plank extending along a long axis and having abuilding-contacting side and a second side opposite thebuilding-contacting side, the building-contacting side having at leastone section adapted to mate with a wall of a building, and the secondside being bounded by first and second ends, each of the siding plankscomprising: a first flange extending upwardly from and offset withrespect to the building-contacting side, the first flange being tapered;a second flange extending downwardly below the second end of the secondside of the siding plank to form a fixation-member-receiving sectionadapted to receive a fixation member for securing the siding plank tothe wall of the building; and a tapered groove formed between the secondside of the siding plank and the second flange, the tapered grooveextending upwardly above the second end of the second side of the sidingplank, such that a section of the first flange of a first of theplurality of siding planks is adapted to mate with the tapered groove ofa second of the plurality of planks to interlock the first siding plankwith the second siding plank via the tapered groove/first-flangeinterface; and a starter strip comprising a building-contacting side anda second side opposite the building-contacting side, thebuilding-contacting side of the starter strip having at least onesection adapted to mate with the wall of the building, wherein thesecond side is bounded by first and second ends, the starter stripincluding: a flange extending downwardly below the second end of thesecond side of the starter strip, the flange forming afixation-member-receiving section adapted to receive a fixation memberfor securing the starter strip to the wall of the building; and atapered groove formed between the second side of the starter strip andthe flange, the tapered groove extending upwardly above the second endof the second side of the starter strip and having a profile that issubstantially identical to the profile of the tapered groove formed ineach of the plurality of siding planks, such that a section of the firstflange of the second siding plank is adapted to mate with the taperedgroove of the starter strip to interlock the second siding plank withthe starter strip, wherein the starter strip does not include anupwardly extending flange for mating with a siding plank arranged abovethe starter strip.
 2. A siding system according to claim 1, wherein atop section of the starter strip includes a substantially flat surfaceextending transverse to the second side of the starter strip.
 3. Asiding system according to claim 1, wherein the second side of thestarter strip presents a front wall that is viewable to a user once thestarter strip is secured to the wall of the building.
 4. A siding systemaccording to claim 1, wherein when the first flange of the first sidingplank is mated with the tapered groove of the second siding plank, itoverlies the fixation-member-receiving section of the second flange ofthe second siding plank, such that a fixation member inserted throughthe fixation-member-receiving section of the second flange of the secondsiding plank is hidden by the first flange of the first siding plank. 5.A siding system according to claim 1, wherein the shape of the firstflange of the first siding plank and the tapered groove of the secondsiding plank are complementary so that the first flange of the firstsiding plank interlocks substantially identically with the taperedgroove of the second siding plank.
 6. A siding system according to claim1, wherein a plurality of channels are formed in the building-contactingside of each of the plurality of siding planks to allow for drainage ofmoisture or fluid.
 7. A method of installing the siding system accordingto claim 1 in a top down fashion, the method comprising: providing thesiding system according to claim 1; positioning the starter strip at atop section of the wall of the building; inserting at least one fixationmember through the fixation-member-receiving section of the flange ofthe starter strip to secure the starter strip to the top section of thewall; positioning the first flange of the second siding plank into thetapered groove of the starter strip so that the first flange of thesecond siding plank overlies the at least one fixation member insertedthrough the fixation-member-receiving section of the flange of thestarter strip; inserting at least one fixation member through thefixation-member-receiving section of the second flange of the secondsiding plank to secure the second siding plank to the wall of thebuilding at a position below the starter strip; positioning the firstflange of the first siding plank into the tapered groove of the secondsiding plank so that the first flange of the first siding plank overliesthe at least one fixation member inserted through thefixation-member-receiving section of the second flange of the secondsiding plank; and inserting at least one fixation member through thefixation-member-receiving section of the second flange of the firstsiding plank to secure the first siding plank to the wall of thebuilding at a position below the second siding plank.
 8. A siding systemcomprising: a plurality of siding planks, each siding plank extendingalong a long axis and having a building-contacting side and a secondside opposite the building-contacting side, the building-contacting sidehaving at least one section adapted to mate with a wall of a building,and the second side being bounded by first and second ends, each of thesiding planks comprising: a first flange extending upwardly from thebuilding-contacting side; a second flange extending downwardly below thesecond end of the second side of the siding plank to form afixation-member-receiving section adapted to receive a fixation memberfor securing the siding plank to the wall of the building; and a grooveformed between the second side of the siding plank and the secondflange, the groove extending upwardly above the second end of the secondside of the siding plank, such that a section of the first flange of afirst of the plurality of siding planks is adapted to mate with thegroove of a second of the plurality of planks to interlock the firstsiding plank with the second siding plank via the groove/first-flangeinterface; and a starter strip comprising a building-contacting side anda second side opposite the building-contacting side, thebuilding-contacting side of the starter strip having a first sectionadapted to mate with the wall of the building at a top end of thebuilding-contacting side and a second section adapted to mate with thewall of the building at a bottom end of the building-contacting side,the second side being bounded by first and second ends, the starterstrip including: a flange extending downwardly below the second end ofthe second side of the starter strip, the flange forming afixation-member-receiving section adapted to receive a fixation memberfor securing the starter strip to the wall of the building; and a grooveformed between the second side of the starter strip and the flange, thegroove extending upwardly above the second end of the second side of thestarter strip and having a profile that is substantially identical to atleast a portion of a profile of the first flange of the second sidingplank, such that the first flange of the second siding plank is adaptedto mate with the groove of the starter strip to interlock the secondsiding plank with the starter strip.
 9. A siding system according toclaim 8, wherein the shape of the first flange of the first siding plankand the groove of the second siding plank are complementary so that thefirst flange of the first siding plank interlocks substantiallyidentically with the groove of the second siding plank.
 10. A sidingsystem according to claim 8, wherein the groove of each of the pluralityof siding planks is tapered, each groove having an opening defined by afirst distance and first and second opposing walls arranged above theopening, the first and second walls being separated by a second distancethat is less than the first distance.
 11. A siding system according toclaim 10, wherein the first flange of each of the plurality of sidingplanks is tapered, the first flange including an end insertable into theopening of at least one of the plurality of siding planks.
 12. A sidingsystem according to claim 8, wherein the second side of the starterstrip presents a front wall that is viewable to a user once the starterstrip is secured to the wall of the building.
 13. A siding systemaccording to claim 12, wherein the starter strip is formed of a unitarypiece of material.
 14. A method of installing a siding system accordingto claim 8, the method comprising: providing the siding system accordingto claim 8; positioning the starter strip at a top section of the wallof the building; inserting at least one fixation member through thefixation-member-receiving section of the flange of the starter strip tosecure the starter strip to the top section of the wall; positioning thefirst flange of the second siding plank into the groove of the starterstrip so that the first flange of the second siding plank overlies theat least one fixation member inserted through thefixation-member-receiving section of the flange of the starter strip;inserting at least one fixation member through thefixation-member-receiving section of the second flange of the secondsiding plank to secure the second siding plank to the wall of thebuilding at a position below the starter strip; positioning the firstflange of the first siding plank into the groove of the second sidingplank so that the first flange of the first siding plank overlies the atleast one fixation member inserted through the fixation-member-receivingsection of the second flange of the second siding plank; and insertingat least one fixation member through the fixation-member-receivingsection of the second flange of the first siding plank to secure thefirst siding plank to the wall of the building at a position below thesecond siding plank.
 15. A siding system comprising: a plurality ofsiding planks, each siding plank extending along a long axis and havinga building-contacting side and a second side opposite thebuilding-contacting side, the building-contacting side having at leastone section adapted to mate with a wall of a building, and the secondside being bounded by first and second ends, each of the siding plankscomprising: a first flange extending upwardly from thebuilding-contacting side, the first flange having a profile with aconvex portion; a second flange extending downwardly below the secondend of the second side of the siding plank to form afixation-member-receiving section adapted to receive a fixation memberfor securing the siding plank to the wall of the building; and a grooveformed between the second side of the siding plank and the secondflange, the groove extending upwardly above the second end of the secondside of the siding plank and having a profile with a concave portionthat is complementary to the convex portion of the profile of the firstflange, such that a section of the first flange of a first of theplurality of siding planks is adapted to mate with the groove of asecond of the plurality of planks to interlock the first siding plankwith the second siding plank via the groove/first-flange interface; anda starter strip comprising a building-contacting side and a second sideopposite the building-contacting side, the building-contacting side ofthe starter strip having at least one section adapted to mate with thewall of the building, wherein the second side is bounded by first andsecond ends, the starter strip including: a flange extending downwardlybelow the second end of the second side of the starter strip, the flangeforming a fixation-member-receiving section adapted to receive afixation member for securing the starter strip to the wall of thebuilding; and a groove formed between the second side of the starterstrip and the flange, the groove extending upwardly above the second endof the second side of the starter strip and having a profile that issubstantially identical to the profile of the groove formed in each ofthe plurality of siding planks, such that a section of the first flangeof the second siding plank is adapted to mate with the groove of thestarter strip to interlock the second siding plank with the starterstrip.
 16. A siding system according to claim 15, wherein the groove ofeach of the plurality of siding planks is tapered, each groove having anopening defined by a first distance and first and second opposing wallsarranged above the opening, the first and second walls being separatedby a second distance that is less than the first distance.
 17. A sidingsystem according to claim 16, wherein the first flange of each of theplurality of siding planks is tapered, the first flange including an endinsertable into the opening of at least one of the plurality of sidingplanks.
 18. A siding system according to claim 15, wherein the secondside of the starter strip presents a front wall that is viewable to auser once the starter strip is secured to the wall of the building. 19.A siding system according to claim 18, wherein the starter strip isformed of a unitary piece of material.
 20. A method of installing asiding system according to claim 15, the method comprising: providingthe siding system according to claim 15; positioning the starter stripat a top section of the wall of the building; inserting at least onefixation member through the fixation-member-receiving section of theflange of the starter strip to secure the starter strip to the topsection of the wall; positioning the first flange of the second sidingplank into the groove of the starter strip so that the first flange ofthe second siding plank overlies the at least one fixation memberinserted through the fixation-member-receiving section of the flange ofthe starter strip; inserting at least one fixation member through thefixation-member-receiving section of the second flange of the secondsiding plank to secure the second siding plank to the wall of thebuilding at a position below the starter strip; positioning the firstflange of the first siding plank into the groove of the second sidingplank so that the first flange of the first siding plank overlies the atleast one fixation member inserted through the fixation-member-receivingsection of the second flange of the second siding plank; and insertingat least one fixation member through the fixation-member-receivingsection of the second flange of the first siding plank to secure thefirst siding plank to the wall of the building at a position below thesecond siding plank.